It is known particularly within the scope of automobile connector technology to provide insulating housings bearing contacts provided with systems for locking electrical contacts by latching with the contacts or with primary retaining components for the contacts.
These locking systems can be primary locking systems when they assure latching and holding of the contact in a connector socket or secondary locking systems when they supplement a first locking means and introduce additional locking security or additional resistance to pulling the contact out from the socket.
Locking devices must provide an additional security, i.e., the detection of poorly inserted or poorly latched contacts, and, in particular, must prevent the coupling of complementary connectors when the contacts are poorly inserted and/or when the locking device is not locked.
The present invention seeks to improve devices for locking electrical contacts in connector housings and notably proposes a device for locking contacts in a contact-holder housing with different locking devices, the locking device being additionally required to permit the detection of poorly latched contacts.
To do this, the invention principally concerns an electric connector element comprising a housing for receiving first and second contacts, provided with a first locking device for the first contacts, which can move between a release position and a locking position of said first contacts, a second locking device for the second contacts which can move between a release position and a locking position of said second contacts, the electric connector element comprising means for preventing maneuvering of the second locking device when the first locking device is not in the locked position for the first contacts.
The connector element can notably be designed such that the first device for locking and holding the first contacts bears a rotary flap with digits crosswise to a direction of insertion of the first contacts in the housing, while the second locking device comprises a front grid provided with elements for holding the second contacts directed toward the rear.
In a particular embodiment, the prevention means can comprise at least one stop element, made one piece with the housing, positioned in the path of an arm that is part of the second locking device and which opposes a maneuvering of the second locking device from the release position to the locking position for the second contacts.
The arm can advantageously be a flexible arm equipped with a spur provided with a first profile for interlocking with a complementary profile of the stop element and a second profile forming a profile that provides release by sliding against the stop element after the arm is bent.
The first locking device, in the locking position for the contacts, may comprise a shoulder which is positioned at least partially in front of the stop element or positioned in front of at least one part of the stop element and which permit the maneuvering of the second locking device towards its locking position by bending the arm.
According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the arm and the stop element comprise inclined rear surfaces so that once the grid is in the set-back position for locking the second contacts, the arm and the stop element hold the grid in the set-back position by cooperation of the rear inclined surface of the arm and the rear inclined surface of the stop element.
Advantageously, the second locking device, in locking position, comprises an element for preventing a maneuvering of the first locking device from its locking position to its release position for the first contacts.
The device for preventing maneuvering can notably be made up of a piece borne by the second locking device and received in a housing that is part of the first locking device.
The housing can notably be part of an elastic latching element.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood upon reading the description that follows of one non-limiting example of embodiment of the invention in reference to the Figures, which show: